Diet Coke gets a sleek new look

Diet Coke is getting a swanky new look with a sleek new packaging. The company will be debuting four new flavours and a new campaign, aiming to “re-energise and modernise Diet Coke for a new generation of drinkers” – the Millennials.Rafael Acevedo, Coca-Cola North America’s group director for Diet Coke, said the brand wanted to be innovative in its approach throughout the relaunch journey. “Most importantly, we wanted to stay true to the essence of Diet Coke while recasting the brand for a new generation,” he said.Acevedo added that the innovation process took two years and was fueled by consumer research pointing to younger Americans’ affinity for big, yet refreshing flavours. This is because Millennials are now “thirstier than ever for adventures and new experiences” and the brand wants “to be right by their side”. The company spoke to more than 10,000 people from across the country to get their ideas and inputs on potential flavour extensions, packaging updates and more.From these insights, Coca-Cola’s R&D team developed and tested more than 30 Diet Coke flavour combinations, featuring tropical, citrus and even botanical notes. Ultimately, Diet Coke landed on four flavours that received the most positive consumer responses- Ginger Lime, Feisty Cherry, Zesty Blood Orange and Twisted Mango.“We’re modernising what has made Diet Coke so special for a new generation. The same unapologetic confidence still comes through and the same great Diet Coke taste people love is here to stay, but we’re making the brand more relatable and more authentic,” Acevedo said Diet Coke and its new flavours complement Coca-Cola Zero Sugar.Diet Coke and the new flavours will be packaged in sleek 12-oz. cans and sold as on-the-go singles and in eight-packs. Diet Coke also will continue to be offered in all existing package sizes, such as standard 12-oz. cans, mini cans, glass bottles and more. All new packaging and flavours hit store shelves this month.“For a design team, the opportunity to rethink such an iconic brand with the scale and reach of Diet Coke – to build on its heritage and create a visual language that will help write its next chapter – is a rare brief,” James Sommerville, vice president, Coca-Cola Global Design, said. “This visual evolution elevates the brand to a more contemporary space, while still using at its foundation the recognisable core brand visual assets."The look is anchored by the brand’s iconic silver color with a simplified color palette focused on silver and red with accents of bold color to represent the new flavours. The new look also features a dynamic asset Sommerville and his team named the “High Line” – a vertical red band that flows through Diet Coke packaging and into all communications, from outdoor advertising to social media.“The ‘High Line’ is a Coca-Cola red disc that has gone for a walk,” Sommerville explains. “It visualises how the Diet Coke brand, the innovation – and the consumers who love Diet Coke – are continually on the move, with confidence.”Most recently, the Coca-Cola Company has also launched its own font known as TCCC Unity. Sommerville said the new font encapsulates elements from the company’s past and its American Modernist heritage. Revealing the news on Instagram, the post also showcased different versions of TCCC Unity, including the light, bold and condensed versions.